Side dump body

ABSTRACT

A side dump body is disclosed wherein the bottom wall thereof is formed from overlapping sheet members which are welded together with the bottom wall being either substantially flat or curved. The side walls of the body may also be formed from overlapping sheet members which are welded together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to a side dump body and more particularlyto a side dump body for use on a trailer or truck wherein the body iswelded together in a unique fashion thereby achieving a better weldmentwith increased strength.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Dump bodies which are employed on trailers or trucks normally areof the end dump type or the side dump type. Since the introduction ofthe side dump body disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,214, side dumptrucks and trailers have experienced wide acceptance. The side dumptrailers such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,214 normally comprisefront and rear bulkheads with a single sheet of metal material extendingbetween the bulkheads with the single sheet of material normally beingbent or broken to form the bottom wall and at least a portion of theside walls. The edges of the walls are normally joined together with abutt weldment. It is difficult to position the edges of the sheetstogether to butt weld the same. Further, the butt weld may not be asstrong as desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A side dump body is disclosed which includes an elongated wheeledframe having a plurality of first supports positioned thereon adjacentone side thereof and a plurality of second supports positioned thereonadjacent the other side thereof. An elongated body is pivotally movablymounted on the wheeled frame and is movable between non-dumping anddumping positions. The body may be comprised of rear, intermediate andfront bulkheads or just rear and front bulkheads. Metal sheet membersare bent to form a bottom wall and opposite side walls which extendupwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall. The bottom wall may beV-shaped, straight or curved. Regardless of whether the bottom wall isV-shaped, straight or curved, the same is formed by overlapping a pairof sheet members at the middle of the bottom wall and welding the sametogether. The sides of the sheet members, outwardly of the weldment, arebent upwardly to form at least a lower portion of the side walls of thebody. The bottom wall may be formed from a single sheet with the sidesthereof extending upwardly and outwardly and which are joined to upperside wall portions in an overlapped manner and welded thereto. Theoverlapping side walls may be used regardless of whether the bottom wallis formed from a single sheet or a pair of overlapped sheets.

[0006] Although the dump body of this invention is ideally suited foruse as a side dump body, the body construction will work equally as wellon an end dump body.

[0007] A principal object of the invention is to provide an improvedmethod of constructing the body thereof.

[0008] A further object of the invention is to provide a side dump bodyfor use on a trailer or truck wherein the body is welded together in aunique fashion, thereby achieving a better weldment with increasedstrength.

[0009] Still another object of the invention is to provide a side dumpbody for use on a trailer or truck wherein the bottom wall is formedfrom a pair of overlapped sheet members with the sheet members beingwelded together in the overlapped areas.

[0010] Still another object of the invention is to provide a side dumpbody for use on a trailer or truck wherein the side walls of the sidedump body may be formed from a pair of sheet members which areoverlapped and welded together.

[0011] These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in theart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a side view of a side dump trailer;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front view of the side dump body;

[0014]FIG. 3 is an end view of the side dump body illustrating thebottom wall being formed of a pair of sheet members which are overlappedand welded;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except that the side walls ofthe body are also formed by overlapped sheet members which are weldedtogether;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except that the bottom wall iscurved;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 except that the side walls ofthe body are formed from overlapped sheet members welded together; and

[0018]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except that a modified form ofweldment is used.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] The side dump apparatus of this invention is referred togenerally by the reference numeral 10 including a side dump unit 12pivotally mounted on a frame means 14 which may be incorporated into atrailer or into what is commonly called a straight truck.

[0020] Frame means 14 normally comprises a pair of longitudinallyextending frame members 18 and 20 which are conventionally supported ona running gear 22. For purposes of description, the frame means 14 willbe described as including a forward end 24, a rearward end 26, andopposite sides 28 and 30. A plurality of horizontally spaced firstsupports 32 are secured to the wheeled frame at one side thereof while aplurality of spaced-apart second supports 34 are secured to the wheeledframe at the other side thereof. Pivot pins 35 engage the supports 32and 34 in conventional fashion.

[0021] Side dump unit 12 includes a body or tub 36. Body 36 includes atleast a rear bulkhead 38 and a front bulkhead 42. In some cases, anintermediate bulkhead 40 may be utilized.

[0022] In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the tub 36 includes a bottom wall44 and side walls 46 and 48 extending upwardly therefrom. Bottom wall 44is formed by overlapping a pair of sheet members S1 and S2, asillustrated in FIG. 3, and welding the inner end of sheet member S2 tothe top surface of sheet member S1. The inner end of sheet 15 member S1is welded to the bottom surface of sheet member S2.

[0023]FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the tub 36A wherein side wall46 is formed from a pair of sheet members S3 and S1. Side wall 48 isformed from sheet members S4 and S2. The lower ends of sheet members S3and S4 overlap the upper ends of sheet members S1 and S2 and are weldedthereto. The lower edge of sheet member 20 S3 is welded to the innersurface of sheet member S1 and the upper edge of sheet member S1 iswelded to the exterior surface of sheet member S3. Similarly, the upperend of sheet member S2 is welded to the exterior surface of sheet memberS4 and the lower end of sheet member S4 is welded to the inner surfaceof sheet member S2.

[0024] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the bottom wall 50 is curved and isformed from a pair of sheet members S1 and S2 similar to thatillustrated in FIG. 3, except that the bottom wall 50 is curved. Thelower ends of sheet members S1 and S2 overlap one another and weldedtogether as in the embodiment of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 illustrates a furtherembodiment wherein the side walls 46 and 48 are comprised of overlappingsheet members in the manner of FIG. 4. Side wall 46 in FIG. 6 is formedby overlapping sheet members S1 and S3 while side wall 48 is formed fromoverlapping sheet members S2 and S4. The overlapping portions of thesheet members in FIG. 6 are welded in the manner as described in theembodiment of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment and isquite similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3. The only difference betweenthe embodiment of FIG. 7 and that of FIG. 3 is that sheet member S2 isprovided with a lip portion 52 which receives the inner end of sheetmember S1 so that a relatively smooth interior bottom wall surface isachieved.

[0025] In each of the embodiments, the overlapping of the sheet membersand the welding together thereof results in a much stronger weldmentthan if the sheet members were joined together in an end-to-end fashionand then welded. Further, the welding of the sheet members as describedherein takes less time than the prior art welding methods.

[0026] Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least allof its stated objectives.

I claim:
 1. A side dump apparatus, comprising: an elongated wheeledframe having a forward end, a rearward end, and opposite sides; thereof;a side dump body movably positioned on said wheeled frame comprising arear bulkhead and a front bulkhead with each of the bulkheads havingfront and rear sides; a bottom wall having front and rear ends and sidewalls having front and rear ends; said rear end of said bottom wall andsaid side walls being welded to said rear bulkhead; said front end ofsaid bottom wall and said side walls being welded to said frontbulkhead; said bottom wall being comprised of first and second sheetmembers having inner edges which overlap one another and which arewelded together.
 2. The side dump apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidbottom wall is substantially flat.
 3. The side dump apparatus of claim 1wherein said bottom wall is curved.
 4. The side dump apparatus of claim1 wherein said first and second sheet members each have upper and lowersurfaces and wherein said inner edge of said first sheet member iswelded to said upper surface of said second sheet member and whereinsaid inner edge of said second sheet member is welded to said lowersurface of said first sheet member.
 5. A side dump apparatus,comprising: an elongated wheeled frame having a forward end, a rearwardend, and opposite sides; a side dump body movably positioned on saidwheeled frame comprising a rear bulkhead and a front bulkhead with eachof the bulkheads having front and rear sides; a bottom wall having frontand rear ends and side walls having front and rear ends; said rear endof said bottom wall and said side walls being welded to said rearbulkhead; said front end of said bottom wall and said side walls beingwelded to said front bulkhead; each of said side walls being comprisedof a lower side wall portion having an upper end and an upper side wallportion having a lower end; said upper end of said lower side wallportion overlapping said lower end of said upper side wall portion andbeing welded thereto.
 6. The side dump apparatus of claim 5 wherein eachof said side wall portions of each of said side walls have inner andouter surfaces and wherein said lower ends of said upper side wallportions are welded to said inner surface of said lower side wallportions and said upper ends of said lower side wall portions are weldedto said outer surface of said upper side wall portions.
 7. The side dumpapparatus of claim 5 wherein each of said side wall portions of each ofsaid side walls have inner and outer surfaces and wherein said lowerends of said upper side wall portions are welded to said outer surfaceof said lower side wall portions and said upper ends of said lower sidewall portions are welded to said inner surface of said upper side wallportions.
 8. The side dump apparatus of claim 5 wherein said bottom wallis comprised of first and second sheet members having inner edges whichoverlap one another and which are welded together.
 9. The side dumpapparatus of claim 8 wherein said first sheet member has a downwardlystepped portion at its inner edge which receives the inner edge of saidsecond sheet member.
 10. The side dump apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidfirst sheet member has a downwardly stepped portion at its inner edgewhich receives the inner edge of said second sheet member.
 11. A dumpapparatus, comprising: an elongated wheeled frame having a forward end,a rearward end, and opposite sides; a dump body movably positioned onsaid wheeled frame comprising a bottom wall having front and rear endsand side walls having front and rear ends; each of said side walls beingcomprised of a lower side wall portion having an upper end and an upperside wall portion having a lower end; said upper end of said lower sidewall portion overlapping said lower end of said upper side wall portionand being welded thereto.
 12. The dump apparatus of claim 11 whereineach of said side wall portions of each of said side walls have innerand outer surfaces and wherein said lower ends of said upper side wallportions are welded to said inner surface of said lower side wallportions and said upper ends of said lower side wall portions are weldedto said outer surface of said upper side wall portions.
 13. The dumpapparatus of claim 11 wherein each of said side wall portions of each ofsaid side walls have inner and outer surfaces and wherein said lowerends of said upper side wall portions are welded to said outer surfaceof said lower side wall portions and said upper ends of said lower sidewall portions are welded to said inner surface of said upper side wallportions.
 14. The dump apparatus of claim 11 wherein said bottom wall iscomprised of first and second sheet members having inner edges whichoverlap one another and which are welded together.
 15. The dumpapparatus of claim 14 wherein said first sheet member has a downwardlystepped portion at its inner edge which receives the inner edge of saidsecond sheet member.
 16. A dump apparatus, comprising: an elongatedwheeled frame having a forward end, a rearward end, and opposite sides;thereof; a dump body movably positioned on said wheeled frame comprisinga bottom wall having front and rear ends and side walls having front andrear ends; said bottom wall being comprised of first and second sheetmembers having inner edges which overlap one another and which arewelded together.
 17. The dump apparatus of claim 16 wherein said bottomwall is substantially flat.
 18. The dump apparatus of claim 16 whereinsaid bottom wall is curved.
 19. The dump apparatus of claim 16 whereinsaid first and second sheet members each have upper and lower surfacesand wherein said inner edge of said first sheet member is welded to saidupper surface of said second sheet member and wherein said inner edge ofsaid second sheet member is welded to said lower surface of said firstsheet member.